Dryness of the mouth is a frequent disturbance affecting a major sector of the population, suffered by every person at one time or another. In some instances, it is so severe that it creates difficulty in the proper pronunciation of words, as the tongue actually sticks to the palate, at times with formation of fissures in the commissures of the mouth. It can also cause difficulty in tasting foods. Dryness of the mouth may result from the heightening of an individual's emotional state, such as when a person experiences anger or nervousness, or may be a permanent condition, such as with smokers. However, the major portion of the population tormented by this problem, and that to which this invention is directed, is that sector of the public who suffer from dryness of the mouth as a result of taking, on a daily basis, certain medications, such as anti-depressant drugs, anti-histamines, neuroleptics, and vasoconstrictors for example.
Further, halitosis of the mouth, which has long been thought to be caused by a malfunctioning of the stomach or the liver, is in most cases, a consequence merely of dryness of the mouth. It is caused by a decrease in the production of saliva in the mouth and the consequent incapacity to naturally wash the tongue, thus failing to remove the dead epithelia and degraded or broken down materials and giving a bad odor to expired air.
Chemically synthesized compounds are known that are available to relieve dryness of the mouth. However, the subject invention contemplates the use of a combination of naturally occurring substances to accomplish this task.
Accordingly, it has now been found, that the combination of certain natural products, as disclosed herein, can increase the production of saliva and alleviate the symptoms mentioned hereinabove.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a composition which, when placed in the oral cavity has the effect of increasing salivation.
It is a further object to provide a tablet easily held in the mouth over an extended period of time, without impeding speech, which has the effect of increasing salivation.
It is yet another object of the invention to produce the saliva-increasing tablet from naturally occurring compounds.
These and other objects of the invention, readily understood by those skilled in the art, will become apparent from the following description of the invention and the claims appended thereto.